The head of the Geneva Council for Human Rights in Switzerland, Anwar al-Gharbi, said that the Israeli occupation’s threats to intercept the Al-Samoud Fleet to break the blockade heading to the Gaza Strip were expected, but were met with the increasing determination of the participants to continue moving towards the besieged Strip. Al-Gharbi explained, in press statements, that the continuation of the war on Gaza, the prevention of aid and the exit of patients for treatment, as well as the genocide policy, prompted more international activists to engage in efforts to break the siege, adding that the naval fleet includes more than 700 participants from about 70 countries, on board about 60 ships, are currently heading towards Gaza, in parallel with a land relief convoy crossing the Egyptian lands, and it is expected to arrive within days. He pointed out that the participants represent multiple sectors, including parliamentarians, doctors, media professionals and activists, pointing out that there are about 100 doctors in the fleet, in addition to a medical ship carrying urgent equipment and aid to support the collapsed health sector in Gaza. Al-Gharbi said that the health situation in the Gaza Strip “has reached catastrophic levels”, with more than 20,000 wounded, in need of urgent medical intervention, in light of the restrictions imposed on the movement of patients and the continuation of Israeli attacks. He added that the messages of the participants in the fleet and the land convoy are to hold the international community responsible for its “inability to compel Israel to respect international law,” criticizing the failure of the UN Security Council and UN agencies to take effective measures to stop the violations in Gaza.
